Turnstile reveal their album of the year: “A warm, nostalgic hug”

Posted On December 20, 2025December 20, 2025

Turnstile frontman Brendan Yates has revealed his favourite full-length release of 2025, and it’s none other than the new Blood Orange record, Essex Honey.

Speaking to The Independent, the musician looked back on all the new releases of the year, and was asked to choose his ultimate favourite. Landing in the top spot, Yates responded, “Blood Orange – Essex Honey.“

Explaining his admiration of the project, he shared, “This album continues to peel back its layers for me. Being a Blood Orange fan for so many years, this album has become my favorite. It’s comforting like a warm, nostalgic hug while also feeling brand new.”

Yates didn’t stop there, offering up other cultural highlights from the year: “Alex G’s Headlights, seeing The Prodigy at Glastonbury, Richard Siken’s I Do Know Some Things, The Chair Company, Angel Du$t’s ‘Cold 2 the Touch’ music video, Mustafa’s Tiny Desk.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Yates reflected on the release of the new Turnstile album, Never Enough, which Far Out deemed one of the top 50 albums of the year. The album came alongside an accompanying movie, and even features Blood Orange on the song ‘Seein’ Stars’.

Referencing the mammoth amount of work the whole process was, Yates admitted, “Making an album can be a paralysing process. Working on the album and the film at the same time, we often felt like we were in too deep.”

However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel: “But the film ended up giving life to the songs in ways that we needed. Bringing it all to fruition and the teamwork involved is something I’m very proud of.”

Turnstile have had a magnificent 2025; this year, the Baltimore band dominated the rock categories at the Grammys with five nominations. ‘Seein’ Stars’, which features Hayley Williams and Blood Orange, is among the five nominees in the ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’ category.

The hardcore group has toured extensively in 2025, landing shows at Primavera Barcelona and Glastonbury. Recently, the band joined the bill for the Rock en Seine 2026 festival.

Far Out gave Essex Honey a four-star review, writing, “There’s a consistency in the inconsistent nature of this music, and beauty resonates throughout every unpredictable second.”

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